Thanks to the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program and Mrs. Paul’s dinner came together quickly, but was still very yummy. I had the opportunity to try the new Mrs. Paul’s Parchment Bake, which are frozen fish fillets that you bake in a parchment paper bag.

The fillets come in four varieties and I chose the Garlic Butter because it went with the pasta dish I was planning on making along with the fish. Each fillet only has 80 calories, which is great,

but they are quite small. Judging from the box and the parchment bags the fish was in, I was expecting the fillets to be a bit bigger than they were.

Each fillet steams in it’s own bag and is ready to eat in 25 minutes. Not a bad deal.

Since my dad’s appetite was a little bigger than my own, he doubled up on the fish, but said it was pretty good. That’s saying a lot from the man who rarely want to stray from traditional Polish foods.

Alongside the fish, I made a veggie and pasta mixture that I basically made up as I went along.

I started out by cooking a box of whole wheat Fettuccine. While the pasta was boiling, I sauteed three cloves of garlic with a zucchini on about two tablespoons of olive oil. When the zucchini was tender, I threw in some baby tomatoes and chickpeas. I tossed the pasta in the mixture and added in 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese. I seasoned it all up with some fresh ground pepper and oregano and the pasta was ready to serve.

For a quick and easy Friday dinner, this totally hit the spot.

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On Tuesday, Munchkin and I headed out to Target for a diaper run because we were running low. At Target, we browsed the toy section because Munchkin has a birthday party to go to on Sunday, but I couldn’t find anything that caught my eye.  I think I’ve been surrounded by ‘boy’ toys for too long or Target’s toy selection is lacking because all they had was Barbies, baby dolls and princess dress up costumes.

On our way home from Target, I had one of my scariest mommy moments.  Just as we were pulling out of the parking lot, Munchkin started hysterically screaming and holding his neck.  I got freaked out so I pulled over, and when I turned around to see what was going on I saw a bee flying out of Munchkin’s jacket. I got really scared because Munchkin had never been around bees before and I didn’t know if he could be allergic to it and go into anaphylactic shock.  Luckily, he had no reaction to the bite and all that’s left is a little red spot.

Now onto the yumminess! Last week, I came home to a huge package with my name on it. I opened it up to find all these goodies.

Thanks to the good people at the FoodBuzz Tastemaker Program and Newan’s Own I received yummy tomato sauce, delicious dressings and a super cool flip cam! I might try my hand at making some vlogs in the near future, now that I have a handy little video camera.

Last night, I decided to put that tomato sauce to good use and made some Squashagna – squash lasagna.  I had a spaghetti squash that I bought last week and thought this would be a great way to use it up.  I have to say that I sustained a injury while cutting the squash in half. Who knew knives were so sharp?

Spaghetti Squashagna

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 1 jar Newman’s Own Roasted Garlic Sauce
• 1 lb shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds and place cut-side down into a baking pan. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until tender. Run a fork through the flesh of squash to separate it into ‘spaghetti strands.’  In a skillet, heat the olive oil.  Add in onion and saute until translucent. Add garlic and saute, but do not let it brown. In a large bowl, combine onion and garlic with the ricotta cheese.  In a baking pan, layer your ingredients like you would for a lasagna, starting with the squash layer and following with ricotta, sauce and mozzarella cheese. Bake covered for 35 minutes at 350. Uncover and put under the broiler for last five minutes to brown the cheese.

Now I’m off to Pile on the Miles!

Happy Thursday!

Do you have any allergies? What’s your favorite type of squash?

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Thanks to the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program and Godiva, I was able to receive two bags of Godiva coffee in their Pumpkin Spice and Caramel Pecan Bark flavors. Both flavors are limited edition for the fall and are inspired by some of their amazing chocolate.If you’ve never tried a Godiva truffle, you haven’t lived.

I’ve been attacking these coffees for about a month now, but I honestly can’t decide which I like better.  What I do like is that no one else in my house enjoys flavored coffee, so theses babies are all mine. No sharing required.

Between being a mommy to a rambunctious toddler who enjoys waking me up before the sun comes up and a law student with readings that keep me up to crazy hours, coffee is my best friend.

I love having a big mug of Pumpkin Spice  with my breakfast in the morning to open my eyes and keep me from falling back asleep with a toddler on the l0ose.

Nap time usually can’t come soon enough, so that I can enjoy some me time with a sweet, Vitalicious treat and some more delicious coffee.

I also bring some with me to school which has helped me beat my pricy Starbucks habit.  Instead of dropping upwards of $4 a day on coffee, I bring my own in my shnazzy pink cup or tumbler, depending on my temperature preference of the day. With extra money in my pocket and delicious coffee in hand, I can get through my sometimes not so exciting classes without falling asleep.

I’m got a big mug of Caramel Pecan Bark with my name on it and a presentation to finish for tonight’s class, so this is where I make my exit.

Have a great Thursday!

What’s your favorite type of coffee? Do you prefer hot or iced?

The post Sorry Starbucks! appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

When we got home, Munchkin was ready for a nap. I was ready for a nap to, but since I don’t have the luxury of sleeping away the afternoon, I made myself some iced coffee. I made some regular coffee, but used the new Pumpkin Spice  Coffeemate I found at Walmart over the weekend. I also had the chance to try out my new Tervis tumbler that the great folks over at the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program and Tervis were kind enough to send me.

Tervis advertises their tumblers as virtually indestructible and gives them a lifetime guarantee, which is so rare these days.  I also really like that the tumbler is insulated and can hold both hot and cold beverages.  I’m looking into buying a cover for this bad boy so I can take it on the go with me.

After my coffee, it was time to have my lunch/dinner.  Since I’m always at school during the normal dinner time, my late lunch is usually my dinner and I bring a snack with me to school. On the menu yesterday was a huge salad of organic spring mix with fresh tomatoes from the farm stand, yellow peppers and beets topped with Honey Mustard dressing.

I also had a side of my eggplant and zucchini parm. It doesn’t look pretty, but it was so good.

When I got home from school, my baby was missing.  After waiting and waiting for his return, he came home bearing gifts.  Not only did I get some awesome pictures and a great note, my crazy cousin Patricia sent him home with a birthday gift for me. Thank you Patricia! I can’t wait to go shopping!

Time to go look over my notes because I have another in-class writing thing today.  If anyone needs advice about deeds and marketable titles, I’m your girl!

Have a great Tuesday!

If you’re a coffee drinker, how do you take your coffee? What are your favorite veggies to throw in a salad?

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Saturday morning I woke up with only one thing on my mind, French toast.  I received a package from the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program on Friday which included a very yummy looking recipe and knew it had to be made ASAP.

This was not your average French toast, this was made with Chocolate Chip Panettone, an Italian sweet bread. The recipe was super quick and easy and the results were to die for. All you need is the Panettone, two eggs, two tablespoons of milk, a tablespoon of sour cream, some cinnamon and a little almond extract. Mix it up, add the bread, fry it up and chow down.

After our bellies were full, we headed into the city to go sailing.  I bought Tommy an experience gift for his graduation through Xperience Days and it included a two hour cruise on the Clipper City through New York Harbor with Craft Beer tasting.

The weather people kept saying it was going to rain in the afternoon, but we had faith that it would hold out. That is, until it started pouring within minutes of us leaving shore.  Luckily, our captain steered us straight out of the storm and it was smooth sailing for the whole trip.

The storm we left behind.

Lady Liberty

We got some awesome views of the sights of New York and tried six different beers from three different local breweries, Fire Island Brewery, Brooklyn Brewery and Southampton Publik House. Two of the six were pumpkin beers which I loved! My two favorite beers came from the Southampton brewery, Pumpkin Ale and Double White Ale. I really hope I’ll be able to find these beers in stores.

Once we were back on dry land, we decided to grab some dinner. We decided on Amber, a steakhouse in Greenpoint that we both pass by on a regular basis, but haven’t had a chance to try yet. Since we are both Polish, we agreed that the place had a very Polish atmosphere, like a restaurant in Poland, but I don’t know if non-Poles would get that kind of vibe from the place.

We started with the Tuna Tartare as our appetizer. It was good, but we both agreed that it would be better with a little more spice to it.

For our entrees, we both got the New York Strip Steak.  I got mine with mashed potatoes and mushroom and spinach.  My potatoes were good, but Tommy’s asparagus stole the spotlight.  It was coated in a very light butter sauce which gave it an amazing flavor.

Overall, it was a good meal, but even though the steak was cooked perfectly to medium, it was a bit charred on the outside for my taste.

We spent the rest of the evening at home spending some time with the little man.  We watched Love, Wedding, Marriage and played some Scrabble on the iPad, while snacking on some Swedish Fish.  If that’s not a good night, I don’t know what it.

Have a great Monday! I’ll be back tomorrow to share our pumpkin picking adventures.

What did you do this weekend?
What’s your favorite beer?

The post Sailing on a Saturday Afternoon appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

The tried this recipe for the first time last Valentine’s Day when I made dinner for Tommy and it was a big hit.  I’ve made it a few times since then, but last week I started craving it and knew I had to make it ASAP.

Creamy Stuffed Shells

• 1 box jumbo pasta shells
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 cup fresh chopped spinach
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 15 oz container ricotta cheese
• 1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce

Preheat over to 350 degrees.  Cook shells according to package instructions.  Be careful not to overcook the shells or they will rip when filling.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except mozzarella and spaghetti sauce.  Once fully combined, transfer mixture to a large ziplock bag.  Cut off one corner from the bag to easily pipe the filling into the shells.

Arrange the stuffed shells into a baking pan.  Top with spaghetti sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella.  Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake covered for 40 minutes.

Thanks to the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program and Sargento, I was able to use Sargento shredded mozzarella cheese to top the shells in the recipe.  I was pleasantly surprised with the cheese.  Very often, when you buy shredded mozzarella cheese, it doesn’t melt very well, but this definitely passed the melty test.

I also had the chance to try some other types of Sargento cheese and I have to say my favorite (and Munchkin’s) were the cheese sticks. You can really taste the difference between the Sargento cheese sticks and other more processed brands which we sometimes purchase, when you try them side by side.  The Sargento tastes like real cheese.

Yes, I got suckered into buying Mickey Mouse shaped cheese.

I also made apple crisp today, but I’ll save that recipe for tomorrow.  It is the simplest apple crisp recipe I’ve tried, and its really the best.  Speaking of apple crisp, I’m going to go cut myself a piece and catch up on my DVR.  I’ve got Teen Mom, 90210 and Up All Night waiting to be watched!

Have a great Thursday everyone! This week really flew by!

The post Cheeeese! appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

I love the way the batter looks all swirly

The post Pre-Birthday Pancakes appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

I honestly didn’t think much of all this hurricane talk until they announced that all public transportation will be shut down if the winds get over 39 mph.  The subway has never been turned off, and if they are planning on taking such extreme measures, it’s not gonna be pretty.

Enough worrying, let’s get onto the good stuff, dinner!

Since time seems to be eluding me all week, I made a quick meal before running out the door for school.

Thanks to the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program and Birds Eye, I was able to try the new Birds Eye Voila! frozen meals.

I chose the Cheesy Chicken flavor because it sounded delicious and made me think of it as a healthy version of Mac and Cheese. The meal was super easy and super quick to make.  I just threw in all the ingredients into my wok with 2/3 cup of water and let it simmer.

After doing some stirring, it was ready to serve.  I really liked that the veggies in the meal wer crisp and tasted fresh, even though they were frozen.  There is nothing I hate more than soggy veggies, especially carrots.

So far, I’ve been enjoying school.  My professors are interesting, as are my classes. I feel like the classes I’m taking this semester are things that will actually come in handy in real life, unlike my classes last semester.

After school, Tommy picked me up and we went to the supermarket to pick up some supplies in case this weekend is as bad as they’re saying.  We got to the supermarket around 9:30 PM and it was packed. I had never seen that many people shopping that late.

And where there are that many people shopping, the shelves start looking like this.

The supermarket was out of gallons of water.  All that was left was Voss, which is a bit pricey for emergency kits.

I hope that everyone in the path of this hurricane stays safe and dry this weekend.
Have a great weekend!

Are you in the path of the hurricane? Have you done anything to prepare?
What are you doing this weekend?

The post The calm before the storm appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

Since I already had my first assignment before classes even started, I took it easy on the cooking and opted to try the Birdseye Steamfresh Mushroom and Green Bean Risotto which I received from the great people at Foodbuzz, through their Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program.

I actually received four different varieties, but the Risottos definitely jumped out at me when I opened the box.  All of the Steamfresh Chef’s Favorites cook up within 5 minutes in their own bag, in the microwave.  At one point the bag looked like it was going to explode because it fills up with steam, but the cooking process went off without a hitch.

Risotto is a dish that intimidates me because you have to stir it so much while cooking, and with a 19 month old running around the house, its not always easy to plant yourself at the stove to stir.

Right out of the microwave, the risotto was very creamy and smelled great.  I loved the fact that the green beans were crisp, like fresh steamed green beans and that there were whole mushroom slices in it.  Very often, microwave meals get a bad wrap, but these use fresh veggies and are delicious.

I shared my risotto with Munchkin and he loved it enough to tear himself away from his coloring to eat.

He is on some sort of coloring kick lately, all he wants to do is color.

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